Virgin has gotten in the corporate game with its new Accelerate loyalty program focusing on gaining the business of companies with annual domestic travel spend of $20-$300K. If you haven’t already, join today to start receiving air travel credit for your company up to $16,500 per year on Virgin flights - equivalent to 152 one-way Blue Saver flights from Sydney to Melbourne. (see Industry News)
As always, we thank you for your loyalty and we look forward to bringing you the latest news in corporate travel.
Industry News
Virgin grows corporate market share with new Accelerate program
Virgin is taking aim at the corporate sector of the market with its new Accelerate program. In an effort to obtain a greater share of the small to medium size business market segment, Virgin Blue has created a tailored corporate loyalty travel program called Accelerate. For companies with total annual domestic air travel expenditure between $20,000 and $300,000 per annum, Virgin will offer annual travel credits for future air travel. The process is simple. Every time you book an eligible flight on Virgin’s network via virginblue.com.au or with your preferred travel management company (Executive Edge Travel) using your Virgin Blue Accelerate account, you get closer to annual reward targets which translate to air travel credit to spend on future flights for your business. This program reflects Virgin’s ongoing commitment to providing value-for-money in this challenging
business environment through Accelerate’s real and quantifiable savings for the SME travel budget.
Launched on June 10th, Accelerate has been gaining a strong, loyal following due to its many benefits for the SME market including:
- air travel credit of up to $16,500 per year to spend on Virgin Blue flights (equivalent to 152 one-way Blue Saver flights from Sydney to Melbourne)
- discounted annual membership to Virgin Blue’s The Lounge
- earn Velocity Points and Status Credits on flights
Virgin Blue also boasts the following perks making flying for business easier and more convenient:
- Corporate Plus fares with increased flexibility and more inclusions
- Premium Economy with priority check-in and boarding, 2x2 seating, and entry to the lounge
- Contemporary lounge facilities in all major Australian cities
- Best on-time performance of any major Australian airline and less cancellations than competitors in the business market (according to the April BITRE figures for 2009)
Bookings can be made directly through your Executive Edge Travel & Events consultant. For more information see www.virginblue.com.au
Aftermath of Iceland volcano eruption causes IATA review of unnecessary closure of airspace
When an April volcano eruption in Iceland caused complete shutdown of European airspace due to ash danger across the northern skies, it cost airlines at least $1.8 billion in lost revenue. Costs to the European tourism economy range in the ballpark of an additional $5 billion euro. However, many contend the extent and duration of airspace closure was an overreaction. This sentiment is most notably asserted by the prominent International Air Transport Association (IATA) Director General and CEO Giovanni Bisignani. He claims that the magnitude of the airspace shutdown was an embarrassment of global proportions. The question remains how to handle a comparable situation in the future. Bisignani contends the event was a wake-up call for two key areas: first, the need for Europe to develop a system in line with international practices on dealing with volcanic ash and second, a chance
to review Europe’s compensation regulations for flight cancellations and delays.
Intending to address these exact goals at a meeting in Geneva last week, EU Transport Ministers unfortunately made no progress to resolve these key issues and have consequently faced a barrage of criticism from the IATA. IATA officials have declared it is ‘unacceptable’ that a month after the volcano went dormant EU Transport Ministers have lost the sense of urgency to address these issues. In the aftermath of the volcano, Bisignani maintains this is a critical opportunity for Europe to work together and unite its skies in consistent and sensible policy so that such a dramatic overreaction and cost never happens again.
Qantas expands services to China
As of July 1st, Qantas will expand its services to China via Singapore. Already Qantas operates daily direct flights between Sydney and Shanghai with China Eastern on its domestic network. Starting this month, the new codeshare services will become available for purchase as of July 1st. Now Qantas will codeshare on three China Eastern services each day between Singapore and Shanghai enabling daily connecting flights to Shanghai from Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth. In addition, there will be three services per week from Adelaide to Shanghai via Singapore. See your Executive Edge consultant to arrange your China itinerary, now more convenient than ever.
Business Hotel News
Featured Business Hotel: Aria Resort & Casino Las Vegas
Vegas has long been renowned as the convention capital of America, arguably the world. Recently opened ARIA Resort & Casino is the latest extravaganza hotel complex to hit the Las Vegas strip. Located in the heart of City Center, its premise is modern, sleek and contains everything you could possibly need for your stay, hence the name City Center. Naturally, the hotel itself including its rooms, restaurants, spa, shops, nightlife and casino are all top notch. But the conference and meeting space at Aria is so spectacular that it easily rivals and, potentially beats, all its worldwide competitors. Three levels of 300,000 square-feet of natural light-filled, distinctive advanced meeting and convention facilities overwhelm the senses. There is even a scenic rooftop garden to blend business with pleasure. Catering is delicious and exhaustive. Vegas hotels have a unique ability
to provide amazing cuisine to unusually large numbers - Aria echoes that ability. And the actual convention services at Aria are overseen by a skilled team of service managers, catering managers, banquet staff and even a convention concierge to deliver a flawless event. www.arialasvegas.com
Four Seasons Preferred Partner Program for Edge Clients
Although we highlighted Executive Edge’s recent induction into the Four Seasons Preferred Partner Program last month, this honor and benefit to our Edge clients is certainly worth reiterating. Now with a Four Seasons hotel booking through Executive Edge, you will automatically receive an upgrade based upon availability, your choice of a full American breakfast for two in the restaurant or room service, and a choice of either a spa treatment, golf fees or lunch for two excluding wine and gratuity. In addition to these already generous bonus amenities, our clients will receive priority waitlist, rooms pre-blocked and pre-registered, a personal welcome by the manager and a welcome amenity. So many of our clients are already taking advantage of this unique opportunity. Book today to start reaping the benefits of the Preferred Partners Program.
Rethinking the Check-in experience
Hotels are placing greater importance on making the check-in process more personal, yet more high tech and efficient. In lieu of the conventional check-in desk, long queues, tedious forms to fill out and painful scripted ‘How was your flight?” nonsense chit chat, hotels are implementing clever ways to bypass the traditional check-in. The luxury hotel has always been a trendsetter and model for the personalised check-in which continues today on another level. Greeting guests at the airport, allowing them to order from the room service menu on the way to the hotel and providing direct delivery to the room. Stress free and seamless. Other hotels are adopting high tech alternatives to the front desk check-in. Starwood in particular is leading the way with Smart Check-in, a system developed by VingCard Elsafe, a security technology company for the hospitality industry.
Smart Check-in allows Starwood Preferred Guests to be issued a universal SPG/Aloft-branded radio frequency identification key card in the mail to keep. On the day of arrival, a text message with room number is sent to the person’s mobile phone. Arriving at the hotel, guests can go straight to the room where their existing key will work without having to reactivate at the front desk. State-of-the-art check-in. Innovative. Personalised. High-tech. No more queues.
Raveable tops TripAdvisor
Raveable, a new hotel rating website, may have topped TripAdvisor in terms of intelligence for providing customised advice on choosing a hotel room. Imagine this: the moment you arrive at your hotel, your phone sends you a message saying, “Enjoy the Hyatt. Be sure to ask for a water view room on an even-numbered floor. If your nightly rate is less than $175 you have achieved a good deal; however, for $185 you can get into the W Hotel which is 6 blocks closer to your meeting tomorrow morning.” Can such highly-personable, automatic, free-of-charge advice be possible via a computer website? With Raveable, the answer is yes.
Raveable, launched one year ago, has devised a way for its computers to interpret consumer preferences and personalise hotel advice for its clients. How? Raveable’s computer programs tirelessly quantify reviews consumers have posted on TripAdvisor and other consumer-driven travel sites on the internet, aggregates the raw material pulling out keywords and relevant information, then generates a snapshot of opinion direct to its registered clients cross-referencing with any applicable information in the client’s personal calendar and preferences. It’s the latest tool for helping travelers choose the best hotel for their money and tastes. Soon you won’t be able to distinguish between the Raveable computer and a human. Call it Raveable’s vision of the future.
The hotel room of the future
Envision a spaceship. Well, maybe a Hollywood-designed spaceship would be more appropriate. Then add curved white walls, sculpted furniture, no right angles and lots of glass - Philippe Starck to the extreme. Appealing? Perhaps if you added super-high tech gadgets like anti-jetlag lighting, a robot bartender and GPS locators in each room key to open doors with no physical contact. These last three features will be standard in the modern hotel room of the future. Other more innovative potential future hotel room features that have designers buzzing are quantum dots (which make the walls and light of a room continually change colour) and invisible flat screens - merely wave your hand and the wall turns into a TV. Some maintain that the future hotel room will resemble a cunningly high tech womb; however, others believe the real future is more likely to showcase customisation and
humanity. In designing these rooms, words like home, personal and authenticity are the focus. For these hotels the future is more about human values and a departure from the cold purity of a modern aesthetic. Only time will tell....
Edge Intelligence
Marriott Rewards Program outshines its competitors
Marriott Rewards was one of the original great hotel rewards programs and today continues to maintain its elite status providing exclusive privileges to its members. First of all, there are numerous ways to earn points - not only through staying at participating Marriott properties worldwide but also through its partner hotels, partner credit cards, referring a friend, partner airlines frequent flyer miles, rental car partners such as Hertz, and retail shopping. Best of all, to redeem points there are no blackout dates. Right now you can even redeem 4 nights and get the 5th free.
Also discover Rewarding Events by planning your next meeting or event at any Marriott property worldwide and earn 10 Elite nights and up to 50,000 Marriott Rewards points or 15,000 airline miles.
To join Marriott Rewards and start earning points today, see www. marriott.com for details.
Intels new paper thin laptop ‘boosts’ with technology
The new Intel Core Processor Family with Turbo Boost Technology is the latest and greatest thing to hit laptops in years. Ideally suited for business travelers it combines high tech speed boost power and lightweight, easy-to-carry portability. Tailor-made for carrying through airports on business trips, the ultraportable laptop is less than an inch thick and weighs a mere 2 pounds while offering the performance, battery life and connectivity consumers need on the go. The processors feature Intel Turbo Boost Technology which automatically accelerates performance, adjusting workload to give users an immediate performance boost when needed increasing responsiveness and reducing latency when activating several tasks simultaneously.
Events and Conferences
Sky High Meetings launched at Shangri-La Hotel Sydney
As of July 1st, 2010 the Shangri-La Hotel in Sydney has launched a new program called Sky High Meetings which provides the VIP privileges of the Horizon Club and the added benefit of complimentary room hire for meetings up to 20 guests. The process is simple. For an additional $80 per room per night based upon single occupancy, you will receive: complimentary boardroom hire up to 20 guests, complimentary WIFI/Internet, complimentary all day refreshments in the Horizon Club located on the 30th floor with vertigo inducing views over Sydney, free breakfast at the Club, suit pressing upon arrival, daily international newspaper, LCD televisions and in-room DVD entertainment.
Horizon Club rooms are subject to availability and bookings minimum of 5 rooms and maximum of 20.
Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre unveils $60 million renovation
One of Sydney’s truly scenic corporate venues has an entirely new look and is now open and ready for business. As of end of June, the Parkside Convention Centre in Sydney unveiled a $60 million renovation and complete revamp along glittering Darling Harbour. Chief Executive Ton van Amerongen, who oversaw the design, has said that during the re-design process clients were always top of mind. The new look and feel of the convention centre increases the flexibility and multi-functionality of space providing delegates with a connection to the city, Amerongen contends. The new space adheres to a marine aesthetic capitalising on its vicinity to the harbour with deep blue carpets and colour-backed glass wall panels overlooking the water. Delegates will find wide open spaces and plenty of natural light particularly in the Parkside Ballroom, the largest pillarless ballroom in Sydney.
Twenty-seven pieces of contemporary Australian art don the walls along the SCEC’s broad concourse adding to its sophisticated presentation. Busy days ahead with bookings flying in, so if your company is interested in reserving the new and improved SCEC, please contact the events coordinator or your Executive Edge conference and events planner.
